The Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s (DISL) mission encompasses the pursuit of excellence in marine science education, marine research, coastal zone management policy and educating the general public through the Estuarium, our public aquarium.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab was founded in 1971 by the Alabama legislature to provide marine science programs for many of the state’s colleges and universities. Today, 23 member institutions partner with the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to provide studies to undergraduate and graduate students. Since 1971, the DISL mission has expanded to include K-12 education, professional development, and a public aquarium.

The Alabama Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (MESC) is comprised of 23 public and private colleges and universities. The Presidents of each school make up the MESC Board of Directors. The Program Committee members consist of one faculty member, appointed by the President, from each of the member institutions.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation (DISLF) supports the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in its mission, “to provide wise stewardship of the marine environment through education and research”. The DISLF provides funds to sustain the activities and programs of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The foundation is also continuing to build the George C. Crozier Endowment, as well as the DISLF Endowment for the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

The mission of the Mobile Bay NEP is to promote wise stewardship of the water quality characteristics and living resource base of the Mobile Bay estuarine system. Administered through and funded by the EPA under provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1987, the initial task for the MBNEP was the development of a Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan (CCMP) as a blueprint for conserving the estuary.

The BayMobile is DISL’s science classroom on wheels, whose mission is to visit underserved schools in the state of Alabama which do not have the opportunity or the means to visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab on a field trip.

While the DISL serves as the focal point of graduate education in marine science in the state of Alabama, it is not a degree-granting institution, and graduate degrees are offered through ten of the 22 DISL Member Schools.

Since 1971, Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) personnel have collected valuable environmental and ecosystem level data as part of research and monitoring efforts in the fields of oceanography and ecology. These data are highly valuable to researchers, educators, managers, policy makers, and the general public.

MyMobileBay.com is freely accessible by the public with ten sites monitoring the water quality. The information is updated every half hour and is gathered from eight water quality sampling stations that are located around coastal Alabama, including a new site off-shore.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL) has been a practicing member of American Academy of Underwater Science since 1992 and currently provides scientific diver training and oversight for all participating schools within the Marine Environmental Sciences Consortium (MESC).

One of 12 consortia funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) and led by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, ACER is comprised of 17 research scientists from nine universities investigating how biodiversity influences an ecosystem’s resilience. Specifically, the ecosystems of the northern Gulf of Mexico to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

The Estuarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab hosts a number of events for the public. The free, twice-monthly Boardwalk Talk program offers the public a chance to engage with the experts at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The Summer Excursion program takes visitors into the habitats studied by our marine scientists, researchers and students at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

Discovery Day is the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s open house for the public. Once a year, the public is given a tour of our research facilities to learn about our coastal environment and the research our team is working on.

The ArtSeaLab Festival is a collaboration between Art Does It (ADI), a nonprofit arts organization, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab (DISL). ArtSeaLab’s mission is to enhance the public’s understanding of the ecological challenges facing the northern Gulf of Mexico and its coastline through the dialogs of art, science, and folk life.

New workshop uses shells found in the northern Gulf of Mexico to create a lens into the history of our environment

Home » About » News » New workshop uses shells found in the northern Gulf of Mexico to create a lens into the history of our environment

(January 18, 2019) --

Join Discovery Hall Programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab during Alabama’s bicentennial year to consider the environmental history of our state.

A new multiday workshop, Time traveling through our coastal history using seashells: A STEAM approach, linking science, history, and art will be held July 16 through the 19. The workshop is designed for middle and high school teachers.

During the workshop, educators will explore how scientists use seashells and radiocarbon dating to consider human interactions with our coastal ecosystems and investigate past environmental conditions in the Gulf of Mexico. They will collect living and dead molluscan communities while aboard the R/V Alabama Discovery, discuss the science underlying hypoxia, uncover the technology and math behind radiocarbon dating, and explore hands-on activities that can be used to communicate these concepts with their students.

Along the way, there will be an opportunity to get creative by designing a Postcard from the Past and learn about ways to use this project to enable their students to imagine being in another time, place, culture, and climate.
This workshop is a partnership among DISL’s Discovery Hall Programs, Dr. Paul Harnik with Franklin and Marshall College, and Ms. Nancy Raia with the Eastern Shore Art Center.